. A disturbing one that alternates Christian imagery, hate-speak and pleas not to judge him.

It appears to have been set up by one of Andrade's siblings. (He has at least two sisters, both of whom faithfully attended the trial.) From the "About Me" section:

People THINK that they know my brother based on the ONE mistake that he made last year. Well, you don't. See, he's a BROTHER, SON, uncle, nephew, grandson, cousin, and friend. He's never denied his identity as a straight male. NEVER. My brother loves WOMEN...the kind GOD makes with vaginas, fallopian tubes, uteruses, periods. -- In my opinion, God gives WOMEN the opportunity to co-create with him. It's an opportunity that surgery or mindset can not achieve. It never will.

The "one mistake" is likely a reference to Zapata's murder -- among the subjects of our May feature "Who was Angie Zapata? Her Murderer's Trial Didn't Tell the Whole Story." Andrade was found guilty of first-degree murder for beating eighteen-year-old Zapata to death with a fire extinguisher last summer after spending a few days with her at her Greeley apartment. He was also convicted of a hate crime -- the jury found that he killed Zapata because she was biologically male -- as well as motor vehicle theft and identity theft. The latter two convictions were because Andrade stole Zapata's car after the murder and used her sister's credit card, which was inside it, to buy gas.

If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.

SHOW ME HOW

Newsletters

SUCCESS!

You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in!

I've told Allen Ray many times that he's truly the lucky one, not only is he here, but he gets a second chance at life. He gets to confess, repent, and move on. We get to do that with him. Sometimes when God needs you to listen he puts us somewhere where we can. It is not fair to judge people by what you read. Only I know what happened, and have to live with it everyday of my life. It wasn't what the media portrayed it to be or the state. I am holding myself accountable. So judge not, please... By the grace of God, I hope that none of you reading this, ever have a loved one go through this ordeal. Keep your sons and daughters safe! Teach them morals ~ beginning with the truth.

I found this webpage dedicated to Allen Ray Andrade a bit unsettling. To me, it seems that Christian blessing is being given to the killing of Angie Zapata, and giving justification for killing transgender human beings in the future -- because God will forgive, and only God is allowed to judge these murderers. Well, I reject that reasoning.

Well said.

Melanie Asmar is a staff writer for Westword. She joined the paper in 2009 and has won awards for her stories about education, immigration and epic legal battles. Got a tip? She'd love to hear it.

We use cookies to collect and analyze information on site performance and usage, and to enhance and customize content and advertisements. By clicking 'X' or continuing to use the site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. To find out more, visit our cookies policy and our privacy policy.